Straat langs een gracht 1890 - 1946

Cornelis Vreedenburgh made this drawing of a street along a canal with graphite on paper. The diagonal strokes used to describe the scene suggest a particular way of looking. It makes me think about how we navigate space. The texture and surface are raw and immediate, like a page torn from a sketchbook, which it is. It reveals the artist’s direct interaction with the subject. Look at how the marks build up to create a sense of depth, especially in the lower portion of the sketch, which feels weighted. The horizontal marks act as a dividing point, a visual anchor. They remind me of a horizon line, but it’s one that’s constantly shifting and reforming. This sketch is a record of perception, the way the world impresses itself onto our senses. Like a conversation, full of starts, stops, and revisions.